Apparatus for cost system.



C. H. NICHOLS. APPARATUS FOR COST SYSTEM. APPLIOATION FILED .1UG.20, 1908.

1,105,994. Patented Aug1 1914u 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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AIPLIOATION FILED AUG. 20, 1908.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.-

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TOPS.

C. H. NICHOLS.

APPARATUS Famosa? SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1903. 1, 1 05,994., Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

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UNITED s'rATEs NPATENT oEEIoE.

CHARLES H. NICHOLS,`OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T AUTOMATIC ACCOUNTING COMPANY, 0F BOSTON, MASSA CHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

Specication. of Letters Patent.

, APPARATUS ron eosr SYSTEM.

Patented'Aug. 4, 1914.

Application led August 20, 1908. Serial No. 449,447.

' following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

In large manufacturing establishments, where each articlemade goes through a number of hands, the detail of whose labor it is desired to determine, and especially where a variety of different styles or the like of particular articles are made, it becomes not only vitally essential but quite difficult to keep the details' clearly accounted, as for instance the 4labor cost accounts. Various systems have been devised, including the coupon card system, and my present invention aims to provide means for rendering such systems more accurate and preventing cheating .or other fraud or mistakes.

.Stated in general terms, my invention consists in providing, in connection with usual or preferred item slips or blanks, a set of ineradicable and unchangeable marks or means, whereby the particular item is rendered conspicuous which applies to the particular matter, and preferably whereby only that particular item remains properly legible, and preferably I provide a templet or 'equivalent master plate, whereby any number `of said item cards may be mechanically prepared without danger of mistake.

In the more complete embodiment of my invention, I provide gross-account cards in unlimited quantity, to be kept in stock for general use whenever wanted,said cards containing designations, preferably numerical, of all the different items which enter into the' business in hand, as, for instance, the cost (or whatever result it is the purpose of the'userto determine), or said gross-account cards may be limited to such portion of said' items as may be desired or required for some department, branch, or purpose, said items being arranged in groups or classes, 'each .relating to a kindred phase or subject. When therefore, for example, any particular lot of goods is to be made, the requisite number of these gross-account cards is taken, and all those designations which are not to apply to said particular lot are punched `out, or otherwise obliterated, as the case may be, thereby leaving legible solely those designa- 'tions which apply to said particular lot, or

in some other way the latter are made ineradicablydistin'ctive and conspicuous. In thisway the gross-account cards are transformed into specific designation cards or specification cards. IfV said lot is very small these cards are treated individually by hand, but if. the lot is large, a templet is first prepared and then the gross-account cards may,

if' desired, all be treated together. These templets are carefully preserved, and form an accurate means of preparing at a moments notice the data or specification card for that particular order or style or kind of article Whenever Wanted without the necessity of investigating the details thereof or otherwise' wasting any time whatever, as is required under the methods heretofore in use. And they serve at all times asl infallible means of determining what was actually sent o'ut to the employees originally. In a further embodiment of my invention` I employ the templet as a means of printing or otherwise marking the specification cards at the start.

`The further details of my invention will appear in connection with the following description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown several embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a grossfaccount coupon card or tag: Fig. 2- is a similar view of a templet for use therewith; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing one of the gross-account cards 'or tags converted into a specification card or tag: Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of'a modified grossaccountcard or tag; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a templet for use therewith; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the gross-account card shown in Fig. 4 converted into a specification card; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of another modified gross-account card; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary planv view of a modified form of templet;

method; Fig. 10 is-a plan view of'a gross-` account card illed'out as a general order card for a shoe factory; Fig. 11is 'a frag mentary plan view of. a card to go withone section ofwthe `gross-account card shown in.y

Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of another card to go with `another section of the gross-account card of Fig. 10; Fig. 13

is a fragmentary plan View of another card to go with-still another section of the grossaccount' card shown in Fig. 10. Figs. 14: and 15- show in plan and `section the general .characterof. 'order-card shown in Fig. 10, with my system applied thereto, 16 showing the templet therefor; Fig.. 17 is a similarA plan view showing `a further detail of myl invention whereby a time element is combined with the other features above. Fig. 18 is a fragmentary plan 'View of a card` or tag containing letters of designation instead of` figures;l and Figs. 19, 20, and 21 show in plan a further modification o f my invention,Fi g. I19* being a`bottom plan view of pa gross-account card in the form of a type stamp, Fig, 20 the templet'to be used therewith, and ig. 21- the resulting specification cardor tag.k

In carrying out my inventiomit will be understood that althoughl speak of cards or tags, I do not ,intend to be limited by this term to specific cards technically so called, but intend to include thereby -any sheet-like device, stack, pad, and book-form, capable' of receiving compiled figures, data or other memoranda or designations, whether the same be a sheet, thick or thin, tag, board, plate, or stack of such,l or the like.

My invention will be morereadily apprehended 'by .describing it with, reference to 'some particular trade, and accordingly I take as the best meansof presenting my in#l vention, its use in connection with shoe Inanufacture, and will first explain it in connection with piece-Work'.

A series of cards or tags' are provided as 1, for instance, preferably marked or other` wise designated in coupon form, so that each Workman can tear `or cutoflf the successive coupons 2, these in this case-representing labor coupons, which representthe part of the work .on a given shoe which any individual Workman is called upon to do, and on these cards are Ilisted the diHerent items, representing the processes which the shoe l must 'be` put through` in the course. of its manufacture, and the different prices for the different varieties thereof. ln Fig. 4. 4I have showli-these items as marked on the slipl in plain reading form atB and 4,.' but someother `method may be adopted, preferably a .numerical system. For example the shoe manufacturer may tabulate all the work-to be donein making shoes in his factory as follows, lwhich represents'the price list of work for all the steps of shoe manufacture grouped in the sequence of making, Ifinishing and packing:

` 4 Price per Operation. No. Kind. dozen pairs.

. 02 01 03 02 7210 15 72 Calf y l0 Patent leather.: 12 Stamping 7204 Plain .01 7206 With.gi1t' .03 Wheeling. 6 200 Foi-aparts only. .03 6201 All around .05 Brushing 6149 Fore arts only.. .02v

6150 Who e bottom. 04 Painting. 6141 09 Cutting. 6139 Regular 05 6140 Fancy .08 Naumkeaging. 6138 10 Buiing 6135 18 5132 Regular .03 5133 Military. .04 g 5131 .04 Edge setting. 5129 double. 12 5130 nglish welt 16 Trimming 5127 double sole 12 5128 nglish welt 16 Breasting... 5126 .1% Shaving 5124 Regular.

5125 Military... .04 slugging 5121 Half .02

5122 'Whole 03 Healing 5120 03 Leveling 5119 06 Fair stitching 5114 .05 4 5115 .08 5116 12 vMcKay sewing. 5110 L 06 5111 .08 Packing on 4109 06 Lasting 4106 Tip toe 12 4107 Plain toe 10 Pulling over 4101 Plain leather tip .22 4102 Plain leather plain toe. 2 0 4103 Patent leather tip toe. .26 4104 Patent leather plain toe. 30

I am attempting herein only to go into the matter suiiioiently to make my invention understood. 'He would similarly tabulate all details of the various other departments of his factory. Having made out a price list itemized as above, so that a designating number `represents each different possible step in the shoe manufacture which any in'- dividual Workman maybe called u on to perform for any and all kinds o shoes which a given manufacturer' produces, these numbers, thus arbitrarily given, are invariably used thereafter to designate that particular operation and no other. Thereupon these numbers are printed, stamped, or other- Wise placed on thecards 1 as indicated at 5,

Fig. 1, in check compartments herein-shown as Ycorresponding to the coupons 2,-so'tl 1at each-'workman can check ofi' 'his work, either by writing `his name on the coupon or a number which has been givenhim, or any other designation by which he `checks or identifies with himself the work 'and price represented lby that particular compartment orcoupon, or he may place them in 'an envelopv or otherwise segregate them. Each coupon 2 preferably originally contains the numbers for designatingall the diii'erent'prices for the different varieties of any one operation or step in the manufacture. AI have indicated this preferred arrangement in Fig. 1. In Fig. 7 I have indicated a different arrangement in which the numbers follow consecutively on successive coupons, the main objection to this arrangementbeing that in some kinds of business it Would necessitate an unduly long card or tag. These cardsor tais, for instance as shown in F ig. 1, may e printed in immense quantities and kept on hand indefinitely, and constitute the gross account cards inasmuch as they provide for all the possible requirements of general shoe manufacture, and hence they may be suppliedgenerally -on the market in the approved form adopted for the manufacture, for instance. l

YVhen a shoe manufacturer Wishes to start through the factory any given style or particular shoe, he very carefully picks-out all the parts and features which go t0 make up that particular shce, and makes a card, or, as I have herein designated it, a templet 6, preferably of hard material, such as leatherboard, cardboard or metal, which contains designations 7 so arranged that when compared with the designations 5 of the card lv they will render conspicuous those individual designations 5 which represent the said parts and features or operations which the various workmen are expected to perform on the shoe.r This templet 6 thus constitutes virtually a specification in cipher for the particular shoe `or other specific article of manufacture which `it is formed to identify, the designations thereon remainingr illegible to any one inspecting the same and only cooperating to -form a legible specific-ation whenbrought into combination with the like formed cards containing the multiple sets of `selective data. These indications 7 may be almost endless in variety, and they may be so arranged as to render the desired designations 5 conspicuous in a variety of ways, as for instance by punching out a portion of the] particular designation 5 'of any given col'ipon indicating the work which it is intended that the Workman shall perfonn, or by punching out all except that particular designation, the latter 'means being herein shown as the preferred construction. The templet is then applied to a card l, or the card 1 is treated' m accordance with said templet, with the result that the gross-account card is transformed into a specification card as indicated at 8, Fig. 3. where it will be seen that the bottom coupon 2 has the first three designations punched out. thereby leaving the fourth 'designation 4104 to guide the workman. The card or tag 8 is completed by receiving a designation 9 on each coupon to indicate the number of pairs of shoes which the workman is to make in accordance with that tag or ticket, and a designation 10 to indicate the style or stock number .or monogram, trademark, or in fact anything else, and 11 to indicate the lot or case (which is to be stamped, if desired, on the lining of the shoe). These marks may be omitted if preferred.

I prefer to carry out my invention as described above, as thereby the cards may be kept in stock, never requiring change for fluctuatingprices, etc. My invention, however, is not limited in this respect, but the prices as Well as the operations may be printed out plainly as indicated at 4, Fig.

4. Also, I prefer to employ a .punch mark as indicated at 7 which does not entirely obli'terate the marks which are punched out or not to be followed, but I do not intend to limit my invention thereto, as larger individual forms 12 of punch may be employed as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, or elongated or any other shape 13 as indicated in Fig. 8. Instead of actuallypunching out the paper. the templet may be used as a stencil and thedesignations 5 may be smeared out as indicated at 14. In other Words, the templet is merely a guide or standard-designating card or master card, with reference to which all the cards or tags 8 for that particular kind of shoe are marked. This is the case, irrespective of Whether the tem plet contains holes or any other guiding means.

It will be understood that I am taking the work in a shoe `factory merely as -a convenient means f making my invention clearly understood, but that, as hereinafter mentioned, I intend my invention for use generally in connection with practically all kinds of 'businesses Continuin however, with my present illustration, I ave shown in F ig. 10 the ross-account card which is required, according to my system, for a second department of the factory, viz. the ordering of parts for the. shoes which are to be -made in accordance with the labor cards 8, this consisting of a form of order card or tag which, as before, constitutes the gros`saccount card or gross-item slip, to be made into a4 specification vcard at the :proper head office as before, by selecting and designating by reference to a templet or standard those specific items required so` that the different kinds and styles of shoes will get started right and in such quantities and varieties as required. f For this purpose the order card or tag 15 may, and preferably does, consist of a plurality of parts, four thereof being herein shown, designated as 16, 17, 18, and 19, preferably separated by perforated lines 20, so that, at the proper time, they may betorn apart, to go with the various portions of the shoe which they concern. Accompanying these respective parts will he ythe work-pricecards or tags already described made ofcourse to go with the um the items' of portion 17 tops. As the large order card a would beunduly weaklis thenprovided-asalready described, preferf ened andy cut awaylif all but the required designations of a given order were cut out, and also as there is no necessity for such extreme caution in this connection, inasmuch as no advantage could accrue to a workman from varying the order, I `prefer simply to designate ineradicably those items which go to make up thespecific order selected from the general order sheet or card 153. This may be accomplished in a variety of Ways, but preferably .as shown in Fig. 14,-and in this gure'I have .shown a di'erent arrangement merelyV so as to indicate still more clearly `that I do not intend to limit my invention to any particular arrangement.

InFig. 14 I have vindicated 'at 24 the Vamps portion of a set of general order items. The items are tabulated in any desired arrangement on,cards or other` sheetlike material, preferably thin, and it may be very thin, like tissue paper. A templet 25 ably of the variety shown in Fig. 8, in which slits are employed, having narrow elongated slits 26 see Fig. lcut therein to correspond in position to the items which are to be used in the particular order being `sent through the factory, and thereupon the necessary number of thin sheets 24 are cnt to. correspondjto this prepared'templet, with the resultjthat each designated .item is under' scored as indicated at 27, z'. e. it has a narrow slit cut `directly under the item. This may `be considered in some factories suiicient, but I prefer to employ. the thin paper mentioned and then, havingV applied the templet marks or cuts to it, paste it on a colored backing 28 `so that thereby all the items are heavily and conspicuously underscored as by a brush or pen. For instance in Fig. 14 the specification card indicates that agrade A. vamp is to be used, having the top band. stamped with the companys own'stamp, the top is to be mat goat,fthe sock lining stamped the same as the top band, to be made of drilling, the vamp' lining is to be heavy, and the cornpanys own top band used.

My invention lalso includes means for -determining whether the returns made by an employee at the end of the day or of vthe week, for instance, are for work done by him that day or week, or whether he has kept over partpf his returns from a previous p extra-easy day or week, and to this end I similarly characterize by some conspicuous Y distinguishing mark, color, or other designation all the coupons or return slips sent out for thework of a givenday, Week, or other predetermined period, as for instance I mark two lines 29 vertically of all the cards, as

shown in Fig. 3; These two vertical lines f 29 are illustrated for example only and if such a distinguishing characteristic were employed it might be desirable to .use oneiline for Mondays work, two lines for Tuesdays, three rforrWednesdays, and so on, butI any suitable mark, color, or other designation may be utilized, so that the managementor the oce force-can tell at a glance that a particular card is returned Within its proper time period.

A further feature is indicated in- Fig.V 17, where I have vshown columns 30, 31 of time spaces, the. column 30 indicating the time when a given piece `of work is taken by a vworkman and 31 the time when it isefinished,

'.the workman himself stamping the respective items `by means of a usual time stamp which is accessible to all. For instancethe middle line shows thatthe workman received thirteen pairs of the given style,'etc of shoes to tack'on at 1.15 p. m. June 10, and iinished at about 1.33 p. m.' A Workman is naturally ambitious to earn as much as possible, and accordingly he A(or any other proper party) vmay ybe depended upon to stamp the time promptly, and 4hence this provision enables the management to keep the foreman to strict account. men do not distribute the -work promptly to the workmen, that fact will show `itself/in the time stamp reports contained in the time columns 30, 31.

A further feature whereby the management is enabled to keep strict account of the various departments-as such, consists 4.in introducing a space or'coupon for the foreman or superintendent of a given department to y return when-the work passes on from his departmentas for instance in Figs. land 3 I have shown a coupon 32 for the finishing department, Fig. 3 showing that' the specifica-` tion card when originally made out called for a total cost 'item in the finishing department indicated by the numeral 149. Accordingly at the end of the day, week, or other predetermined period, the book-keeping department lcan ascertain `immediately' from the total of the coupons 32, these in this ease representing production coupons, turned in by the finishing department, the total ex-' pense which that department should have cost the factory Vduring that period, aud by comparing this total with the actual expense of that department. th management can readily deterininewheth 'he department is being properly or improperly handled. Heretofore the determining of this result 1400l If the forey cient for some small factories and has been an. exceedingly complicated, laborious and expensive undertaking 'inf most shoe factories. L It will be understood that similar coupons may be providedl throughout the labor specification cards for each department or each special division of the factory which it is desired to keep separate account of, as for instance the stitching room, botto-ming room, treeing room, etc. or the making department, finishing department, packing department, or the like'.

In Fig. 21 I have indicated a coupon 320 for keeping track of the findings item which, for the given order of that particular card is allowed 4an expense item 2 (punched out between'the 17 and .3). In thisF ig. 21 I have shown a card 33 which bears only those items which go to make up the given specification or specific order of that card or tag, this bein suffiaving certain advantages of its own. For this purpose I provide a stamp, which may be a rubber stamp, or any other type stamp 34. This stamp contains the complete list of items designated in accordance with the system preferred, whether by letters, numerals, 'or both, ,or any other means, the same' as for v the stamp 34.

instance the gross-account cards of Fig. 1. A templet 35 is then prepared in the same manner exactly as the templet previously described, excepting that it is provided with openings 36 corresponding in shape and size approximately-to the item deslgnations of Having prepared this templet, it is placed on a'card and the stamp, properly inked, is then alined properly thereon and pressed downward, thereby printing the card 33 vas shown in- Fig. 21, inasmuch `as only those designations are permitted to print through on to the card 33 which aline with the openings 36 of the teniplet. y

IVhenever anyparticular operation, ordinai-ily performed, is omitted, so that a given coupon would be blank, itis desirable that this coupon shall be' canceled, and accord ingly I employ some suitable canceling means, as foi-instance the stamp, Fig. 19, is provided with a column of Void designations, so that in use the tcmplet, Fig. 20, would be provided with an opening 3G to permit `the proper coupon to be marked Void, whenever not to receive any other mark.

In Fig. 18 I have shown letters 37 for indicatingthe desired items instead of figures, and it will be understood that I do not intend to limit myself in any way in this respect. For instance in the labor schedule, under Pulling over, plain leather may be indicated by f1, patent leather by 2, with a tip by A, and with a plain toe by B, so that 1A would indicate a plain variety of shoe.

leather tiptoe, 1B a plain leather plain toe, 2A a patent leather tip toe, ctc., or the labori price may be indicated by letters,

as for insance the four price items under' Pullin over may bey designated by A, B, 2%, D respectively. So in the order schedule, the different itemsI may be represented by successsive numbers or they may. be arranged in groups, and each group may have its individual successive numbers, as for instance:

Part. Nq. or No.

Vamps Kid uartel's ops Mat call Mat goat....

Weight Foxlng mlm- HFH I-l y aww v-oo acumen-bwwin hand. For example, he makes out a templet for the order card 15, and then takes the requisite number of order cards required for that particular order of shoes, and marks them all quickly and with certainty to correspond to the templet. Also he carefully makes out a tem )let (3 for the labor specification cards, marked preferably as shown in Figs. 11-13 for each different kind, style, or The templet is usually madey by taking one of the gross-account cards as a guide by which the `teinplet is punched or with reference tc which it is punched or otherwise formed. He then takes the requisite number of cards or tags 1 to go with the order of shoes of any given kind or variety, and marksthereon, preferably adjacent the right hand edge, the quantity, style, and case numbers 9, l0, 11, and also preferably the date or'time period designation 29, and then marks thesecards or tags in accordance with the templet' corresponding to that kind or variety of shoe.

This produces the tags 8 which thus marked go through the factory with the shoes, usually attached to the rack on which the shoes are placed,ror to the shoe that carries the order tag. 'As each workman performs his allotted task toward the making of the' shoe, he tears or cuts off from the tag the coupon 2 which indicates his vwork (it being understood that said coupons are preferably the same -as any -So on throughout the day.

- the bottom coupon,

arranged from'the bottom-up in4 the order of -the successive 'op'ei'ations-on theshoe). The next lot of shoes that comes along to the workman is providedwith the appropriate tag 8, which' may or may not be the precedin one, but in event corresponds to t e templet .for that 4particularl ,kind or variety of shoe. At the end of the day -the` workmanjhas cut .offf a large number vof coupons 42 from probablyv `,a large variety of4 tags, which vhe marks with hisi name or other understood'designation and .all these coupons. are

then collecte fromall the workmen doing piece-work and taken to the accounting, or cost, Aor book keeping department, -or paymasters Ydepartment. The book-keeping is exceedingly simple, as all that is necessary is to add up the amounts representedl by the indicated price markson all the coupons of any one workman, andi the total indicates ,what he has earned that day.

In the preferred embodiment of my 1nvention, in which all the price marks eX- cepting the indicated' onesy are actually punched out, it is not only impossible for the book-keeping department to make any error, but it is impossible for the workmen to deceiveor work an `fraud by changing the same, as theremaining `space or spaces for Vprice designations on that particular coupon have been obliterated. For instance Fig. 3, iii connection with the tabulated ke before given for illustration showsthe ookkeeper that the l workman who turned in that coupon is en- `per dozen for titled to 30e' per dozen for having Apulled over the patent leather plain each of t e .thirteen pairs of shoes in lot #987,581, and` the next coupon.- shows that that particular workman is'` entitled to 10c havingV lasted the plain toe shoes on -each of said thirteen pairs of shoes. f Y

andI figure, as in is indicated .by plain name Fig. 6, the brushing coupon 'indicates that the workman is entitled to' four cents for brushing the whole bottom of each of said thirteen pairs of shoes, and the `next coupon shows that the particular workman' who turned in that coupon lis entitled toive cents for wheeling all around the shoes on each of said while the next couponl indicates that the yparticular workman who turned it in is entitled to one cent for performingv the plain stamping operation on each of said pairs .of

oes.

of my invention, the time columns are also used preferably as a part of the card coul sides in providing, in

toe shoes on/ airs of shoes,

ln using the more `complete.embodiment A innesca the work 'ofl the factory by enabling the management to kee `better track of `the foremen, and also t e-departmentcoupons 32D are preferably used, thereby aiding the management in ,keeping track of lthe difficult matters as already explained in connection-with these coupons." If lthefactory is small, instead of keeping ya large supply of, cards 1, 15, or the like, it is necessary merely to provide a stam or stamps which are used in connection with the. templet` cards or plates 35 l and blank lor partially blank cards 33. v

Tliefmain Yfeature of myv invention re" connectionwith a series of cards, tags or similar parts, a master. templet, card, or other means capable of being referredto and used, whereby are pre' pared sets of specification cards which invariably indicate all the specific data for the given matter in hand, and in its' more. specific embodiment the main feature of myy in-4 vention resides in punching out or otherwise permanently defacing or obliterating and destroying `certain of the items, preferably those which `are not to he used, but whether ythe ones used'l are punched out or the ones not used are l punched. out,"'the result f in either case is to render place designationof cost (or whatever item may designate) so that not only the workman but all concerned may know absolutely which one it is and that it is correct when it reaches the accountant. By arranging these designations in a predetermined order 4for the entire work of the factory so thateach item has its predetermined position as well' as its redetermined character (Whether numeralword or otherwise), and by treating alll the cards or tags for a given article in accordance with a standard conspicuous one the g card or templet, the possibility of cheating i is eliminated, the work of the accountant simplified, and the original preparation of the cards or tagsl facilitated, besides intro-v ducing rigid system, into the factory., If for any reason a manufacturer'prefers to retain all the coupons or check comparty ments 2 integrally together, each workman simply marks his naine, number or .other designation onhis portion 2, of the main card or tag 8 but does not sever it from the card or tag, relying upon tlieline marks 15 to separate or individualize the different portions 2. I intend to include by the above terms not onlyv costfeatures but shop orders, requisitions, and all matters which can l conveniently be listed on tags, tickets, detail cards, or the like. f

I do not intend to limit my invention to any particular manufacture, and it .will alsol be understood that my invention is capable of' a wide range of embodiments, those hereinshown being illustrative of the wide ,scope oi? the invention; For example, my`

invention is readily applicable to clothing and underwear factories, machine shops, metal-Working plants, tin and sheet metal ware factories, carriage and automobile factories, watch factories, furniture, 1chair, wood-working plants, shirt and collar factories, typewriter factories, and the manufacture of electrical, rubber, leather, glass goods,ietc. and in short wherever the business requires the selection of specific items from a general classification of items, including extensive billing, etc.

The templet is merely a master card `or means `which controls the marking or forming 'of the specification cards, so that all the specification cards which are marked with reference to a given templet will be absolutely alike, and in carrying out my invention in its more advanced embodiment I cut, stamp, or otherwise make out the specification card by an automatic machine; and accordingly it will be understood that by the word"temp1et Itmean to include any such master means of reference medium, whether in the shape of a card 0rl forming a part of a machine, which, in connection with punching or markin appliances, resultsin having all the specification cards of a given group or subjectformed alike.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure ,by Letters Patent is: y

1. In an apparatus of the kind described,

a card containing a set of symbols to distinguish itemized data covering o ,tional selective details comprising a speci cation of an article of manufacture, and a templet or master card, having means spaced and arranged similarly to certain of. the items on .said symbol containing card, said means servin as a ide to be coperative in rendering certam of the distinguishing symbols on said data card distinctive through elimination of the remaining symbols, and converting it into a legibleispecifcation for va particular article of manufacture.

certain of the symbols on said symbol card,

and constituting a cipher speci cation of a particular article of manufacture, said means being c'operative in rendering cer tain of the symbols on said symbol card distinctive to convert it into a definite, legible specification.

. 3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a card containing a set of symbols in tabulated arrangement to distinguish itemized data covering optional selective details, comprising a specification of an article of manufacture, and a templet or master card, containing a series of designating means spaced and arranged similarly to certain of the items on said symbol card and adapted to coperate With said symbol card to designate particular scattered symbols' on said symbol card to convert `the same into a delinite specification.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a card containing symbols in tabulated arrangement to distinguish itemized data covering optional selective details, comprising specification items for a series of similar articles of manufacture, and a templet or --master card, containing perforations spaced and arranged similarly to certain of the symbols on said symbol card, constituting a cipher specification and adapted to coperate with said symbol card and to identify certain of the symbols thereon and convert the same into a definite legible specification of a particular article of manufacture.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, a .card containing multiple sets of optional selective symbols to indicate itemized data, comprising specification details for a series of similar articles of manufacture, and means constituting a cipher specification for a particular one of such articles of manufacture, arranged to coperate by a punch or the like with said symbols as located on said symbol card to render distinctive certain of the details thereon, and convert the same into a legible specification for said article of manufacture.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, a card containing a setl of symbols to indicate itemized data covering `a given general subject in a form outlined into a series of check compartments, each containing one or more of said symbols, and having an adjacent blank space, said card having a series of'punch marks to render unmistakably conspicuous a given set of selected symbols of a specific article or subject included with the general Subj ect, and a templet adapted to cooperate -With a plurality of such cards to locate said punch marks.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication, in the presence of two subscribin Witnesses. l

C ARLES H. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

M. J. SPALDING, EDWARD MAXWELL.' 

